Navigating Startup Storms: The Crucial Role of a Product Engineer

Up to 92% of startups fail within the first three years of operation. Eight out of one hundred will stay, and 50% of them will make a positive revenue, where only one has a chance to become a unicorn. This leads us to a simple conclusion. The sooner you show your product to customers, the better. I think everyone will agree that in the startup world, you want to do everything ASAP at the lowest possible cost. This article will be focused on application-based startups and present why you should consider a Product Engineer in your team.

Jumping into a startup feels like diving into unknown territory. It's fast and stressful, and you gotta give it your all. Think sleepless nights and non-stop work—all for that MVP that might make or break things. With a whopping 92% of startups failing in the first three years, the pressure is real. And here’s the kicker: it's not just work; it can mess with your personal life and even strain family ties. Pursuing a startup dream is tough, no doubt. But each step you take is like saying, 'I got this' in the face of the unknown.

Experience

In the startup world, I found myself in two thrilling adventures. In my last startup, the boss insisted on sticking to the old-school software development methods even when we were strapped for cash and desperately needed funds from investors. It reached a point where I had to make a tough call and leave. Little did I know my departure triggered a tough situation for the company. After I left, they scrambled to use tools like Next.js and Supabase to speed up product delivery, but unfortunately, it was a case of too late. My absence shifted the CTO's mindset, and the slow progress was compounded by a lackluster designer who was not able to prepare the design system on time.

In my second startup escapade, we decided to tighten our belts and cut spending on infrastructure and developers. I played the role of a junior developer without a clear understanding of our product's big picture. This led to high-pressure moments where I found myself rewriting code repeatedly. Eventually, we made the drastic decision to overhaul the backend and switch to a different infrastructure solution. After seven months of feeling the strain, I decided to part ways with the company. True to the startup rollercoaster, a few months later, I received the news that this project also had come crashing down.

Lessons

The lessons learned are often the most valuable currency. If there's one golden rule for early-stage startups, it's this: hustle to get your Minimum Viable Product (MVP) out there and validate your idea as soon as humanly possible. But here's the twist—forget about specific roles like backend or frontend developers. In those crucial initial phases, what you need is a 'product developer.' This magical unicorn is someone well-versed in a toolkit that includes tools like Next.js, Vercel, Supabase (PostgreSQL), Prisma, Axiom, React, TailwindCSS, and MUI. Versatility is the name of the game, and having a jack-of-all-trades can be the secret sauce to navigating the unpredictable waters of a startup's early days.

Think about your company resources wisely, making strategic decisions that can move you forward. And here's a secret: in the startup world, nobody cares about the fancy technologies your app is built on—especially when you're at ground zero with zero clients or struggling with poor revenue. Your investors might shed a tear, but what matters most is the resilience to weather the storms and the strategic decisions that will ultimately script your startup's fate. Remember, the journey may be tumultuous, but with the right mindset and a dash of strategic savvy, your startup story could very well be the next one to inspire and endure.